1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an instant photographic film pack accommodating an instant film, that is, a self-developing type film unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various film packs for use in instant cameras, which accommodate pluralities of mono-sheet type self-developing type film units in box-like cases, have been sold heretofore.
A case of a film pack is generally formed of a plastic endowed with light-shielding ability in a box shape. The case is provided with an exposure aperture for exposing an exposure face of a self-developing type film unit and an ejection aperture for discharging the self-developing type film unit after exposure. The case is also provided with an insertion aperture at which a pusher member, which is disposed in an instant camera and pushes the self-developing type film unit up toward the exposure aperture, is inserted. Further, an exposure aperture cover which is a sheet-like member is accommodated in the case so that the exposure aperture cover is superposed over an array of the self-developing type film units to close the exposure aperture from inside of the case. An insertion aperture cover which is a sheet-like member is also accommodated in the case so as to cover the insertion aperture from inside of the case.
The instant photographic film pack is set in a pack chamber provided in an instant camera. The aforementioned pusher member is attached at a lid member closing the pack chamber of the instant camera. When the lid member is closed, the pusher member is inserted at the insertion aperture of the instant photographic film pack. Then, the exposure aperture cover is ejected from the ejection aperture and the exposure face of the self-developing type film unit is ready to be exposed. When all of the self-developing type film units in the case have been used up and the instant photographic film pack is empty, the instant photographic film pack is taken out from the instant camera and disposed of.
The instant photographic film pack case is formed of plastic, which is discarded as a non-industrial waste and incinerated or filled in the ground. Currently, plastic products, which are formed from plastics produced from mined resources such as oil, are widely used. Such resources are referred to as non-renewable resources, and will eventually be depleted. Furthermore, discarded plastic products are incinerated discharging carbon dioxide and the like into the atmosphere, and therefore, are considered to be one of the major cause of deterioration of the environment.
Correspondingly, efforts for dealing with environmental problems on the part of the whole society have been demanded recently. For manufacturers and vendors, it is becoming to be a social responsibility to produce and retail products having less environmental impact. On the other hand, products of high cost will not sell well even if they have low environmental impact. Therefore, production of environmentally friendly products at an appropriate cost is also strongly demanded.
Consequently, various attempts have been made for realizing an instant photographic film pack that is environmentally friendly and easy to handle and can be produced at a low cost.
An object of the present invention is to solve the problems described above, especially, to provide an instant photographic film pack that not only can be produced at a low cost, but also gives low environmental impact as well as is easy to handle. A specific object of the present invention is to provide an instant photographic film pack that can be easily discarded or recycled after use.
A first aspect for achieving these objects relates to an instant photographic film pack loaded in an instant camera comprising: a case body which accommodates therein a plurality of self-developing type film units, has one side thereof open, and has an exposure opening for providing each one of the self-developing type film units with exposure, and a reference surface serving as a reference for location when the instant photographic film pack loaded into the instant camera; a covering portion covering the open side of the case body to form a box body; and a light-shielding cover covering the exposure opening and blocking light, wherein the case body and the covering portion being formed of a paper material.
When the instant photographic film pack is loaded into an instant camera, the case body is fixed into a pack chamber of the instant camera and the reference surface of the case body abuts the inner wall of the pack chamber to locate the instant photographic film pack in the pack chamber.
When a photograph is taken, the light-shielding cover is removed from the exposure opening to expose the exposure surface of a self-developing type film unit. Then, a shutter of the instant camera is released and the exposure surface is exposed to form a latent image thereon.
The exposed self-developing type film unit is discharged through the ejection slit to the outside of the instant camera and automatically developed to form a positive image on an image-forming surface located opposite from the exposure surface.
The case body and the covering portion, which are discarded after use of the instant photographic film pack, are formed of a paper material and can be burnt generating a small amount of heat and gas. Therefore, a discarded instant photographic film pack can be incinerated easily.
Accordingly, the instant photographic film pack can be disposed of incineration or in a land fill with a much smaller environmental impact compared with a conventional instant photographic film pack.
The paper material includes cardboard and a cellulose-resin composite.
The cellulose-resin composite is a composite material mainly composed of a cellulose fiber and a thermoplastic resin. An antioxidant and an aldehyde-neutralizing agent can be added to the cellulose-resin composite as described in the specification of the Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-378198. An amount of the cellulose fiber in the cellulose-resin composite is preferably 25 parts by weight or more, more preferably 51 parts by weight or more per 100 parts by weight of the total amount of the cellulose-resin composite. In view of printability, dimensional accuracy, and easiness of incineration, the weight ratio of the cellulose fiber to the thermoplastic resin is especially preferably from 51:49 to 75:25.
A cellulose fiber that can be blended in the cellulose-resin composite includes a waste paper pulp obtained by crushing, beating, or refining a waste photographic paper or other kinds of waste wood-free paper, a wood pulp, and a non-wood pulp obtained from paper mulberry, mitsumata plant, kenaf, sugar cane, or bamboo tree.
A thermoplastic resin that can be blended is preferably a polyolefine resin in that a polyolefine resin can be incinerated without generating any poisonous gas. Preferable examples especially include a polyethylene resin such as high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, ultra low-density polyethylene, a polypropylene resin and an ethylene-propylene copolymer resin.
The cellulose-resin composite includes a paper-resin mentioned below as well as a heat-pressed sheet made by heat-pressing a paper made from a pulp of the cellulose fiber and a pulp of the thermoplastic resin and a layered sheet made by layering and heat-pressing a cellulosic paper made from the cellulose fiber and a resin paper made from a fiber of the thermoplastic resin. For making the heat-pressed sheet or the layered sheet, the paper(s) are preferably heat-pressed at a temperature wherein the thermoplastic is molten and penetrates between the cellulose fiber.
The cardboard includes a conventional cardboard made from a common wood pulp as well as a cardboard made from the above-mentioned waste paper-pulp or non-wood pulp.
A second aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the first aspect, wherein the covering portion comprises a first insertion opening and a first light-shielding piece, the first insertion opening including an opening portion through which a pusher member of an instant camera is inserted to the inside of the case body to push the self-developing type film units toward the exposure opening of the case body when the instant photographic film pack is loaded in the instant camera, and the first light-shielding piece including a flap-like member which covers the first insertion opening to shield light and being formed so as to fold inside to open the first insertion opening when the pusher member is inserted at the first insertion opening.
The first insertion opening is closed by the first light-shielding piece until the instant photographic film pack is loaded in the instant camera.
When the instant photographic film pack is loaded in the instant camera, the pusher member provided in the instant camera pushes up the first light-shielding piece inside of the case body to open the first insertion opening and penetrate inside of the case body through the first insertion opening. The first light-shielding member is pushed up by the pusher member to push the self-developing-type film units accommodated in the case body toward the exposure opening thereof.
The first light-shielding piece can be formed integrally with the covering portion by forming a continuous or broken cut line around the first insertion opening on the covering portion and making perforations at an area where the cut line is broken. Instead of making a cut line around the first insertion opening, a member forming the first light-shielding member can be fixed inside of the covering portion next to the first insertion opening. The member is also preferably made of a cardboard or a cellulose-resin composite sheet that is black or dark colored.
A third aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the second aspect, wherein the case body comprises a second insertion opening and a second light-shielding piece, the second insertion opening including an opening portion through which a pushing-out member of an instant camera is inserted inside the case body to push the self-developing type film units out toward the ejection opening of the case body when the instant photographic film pack is loaded into the instant camera, and the second light-shielding piece including a flap-like member which covering the second insertion opening to shield light and which is formed so as to open the second insertion opening when pushed by the pushing-out member.
When photo-taking is finished, the pushing-out member disposed in the instant camera is inserted from the second insertion opening into the inside of the case body and a self-developing type film unit that has been exposed is pushed from the ejection slit out of the instant photographic film pack.
The second light-shielding piece includes a flap or others having any form as long as it can cover the second insertion opening. Preferable examples of the second light-shielding piece especially include a thin flap of a black film disposed to the light-shielding cover so as to covering the second insertion opening when the light-shielding cover is closing the exposure opening of the case body.
A fourth aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the third aspect, wherein the light-shielding cover is formed to be ejectable from the ejection slit of the case body.
When the above instant photographic film pack being set in an instant camera and photo-taking is started, the pushing-out member disposed in the instant camera pushes a second light-shielding member to open the second insertion opening and the pushing-out member is inserted into the inside of the case body. Then, the pushing-out member pushes a light-shielding cover out of the instant photographic film pack through an ejection slit to expose an exposing surface of a self-developing type film unit so that the self-developing type film unit can be exposed. Once the light-shielding cover is pushed out through the ejection slit, the pushing-out member returns to its waiting position to make the instant photographic film unit ready for photo-taking.
When photo-taking is finished, the pushing-out member is inserted from the second insertion opening into the inside of the case body and push the exposed self-developing type film unit out of the instant-photographic film pack through the ejection slit.
A fifth aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the fourth aspect, wherein a specific decoration is printed on an outside surface of at least one of the covering portion and the case body.
A specific decoration composed of at least one of the letters and figures is printed on the outside surface of the case body or the covering portion or the both, and therefore, the decoration makes the appearance of the instant photographic film pack more attractive.
Correspondingly, an instant photographic film pack having a decoration related to an event printed on its surface is suitable for a free souvenir delivered in the event. Additionally, an instant photographic film pack having a logo of a specific company or a specific product printed on its surface can be suitably delivered as an advertisement.
A sixth aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the fifth aspect, wherein the decoration is printed on an area outside of an image-forming surface which is disposed on a side of the self-developing type film units opposite from the exposure surface thereof.
A self-developing type film unit having a frame-like decoration around an image-forming surface thereof gives an appearance as if an image on the image-forming surface were fixed into a frame when the image appears on the image-forming surface. Therefore, the decoration around the image-forming surface of the self-developing type film unit gives additional attractiveness to the self-developing type film unit. Thus, the instant photographic film pack provides users with other pleasures than a pleasure that they can see a photograph soon after photo-taking. Accordingly, the instant photographic film unit can meet various needs of different users.
Particularly, an instant photographic film pack having decoration printed on an outside surface of at least one of a case body and a covering portion thereof with the same motif as a decoration printed on self-developing type film units inside the case body is thought to be more attractive to users since the decorations on the case body, on the covering portion, and on the self-developing type film units inside remind them a continuing story. Accordingly, putting the decorations on the case body, on the covering portion, and on the self-developing type film units inside can be expected to improve the sales of the instant photographic film pack.
A seventh aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the third aspect, wherein the case body and the covering portion are formed by folding a single continuous fold-out sheet of the paper material.
An eighth aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the fifth aspect, wherein the case body and the covering portion are formed by folding a single continuous fold-out sheet of the paper material.
The case body and the covering portion of the instant photographic film pack are formed by folding a one-piece fold-out sheet wherein openings such as the exposure opening and the ejection slit are formed in advance.
Accordingly, compared with assembling an instant photographic film pack by attaching side wall portions and a bottom portion separately formed of cardboard to each other to form a case body and a covering portion and then, attaching the case portion to the covering portion, the instant photographic film pack of the present aspect can be assembled more easily, and therefore, the production cost thereof can be reduced.
The fold-out sheet can be made of cardboard as well as a sheet of s cellulose-resin composite.
A ninth aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the seventh aspect, wherein the fold-out sheet is formed of cardboard having one layer or two or more layers.
The instant photographic film pack is preferable in that cardboard is easy to cut into the fold-out sheet. Additionally, the fold-out sheet formed of cardboard is easy to fold into a case body and a covering portion. The cardboard can comprise a printing layer and a light-shielding layer.
A tenth aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the ninth aspect, wherein the fold-out sheet comprises a light-shielding layer and a printing layer having an outside surface suitable for printing.
The case body and the covering portion of the instant photographic film pack related to the present aspect are formed by folding a fold-out sheet having a light-shielding layer and a printing layer with a surface suitable for printing. Thus, the instant photographic film pack has an excellent light-shielding property and an excellent printability. Accordingly, it is effectively prevented that the self-developing film units accommodated inside the case body are exposed previously from photo-taking to form fogging as well as an attractive decoration can be easily printed on a surface of the case body.
An eleventh aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the tenth aspect, wherein the fold-out sheet comprises a folding portion that is folded inside or outside to form a corner portion of the case body and the covering portion.
In the instant photographic film pack of the present aspect, by folding the folding portion inside or outside, two adjacent side portions of the case body and the covering portion and a corner therebetween are formed.
Accordingly, without forming any cut that is commonly seen in a cardboard box, the corner of the case body and the covering portion can be formed, and therefore, the case body and the covering portion of the above instant photographic film pack has a particularly excellent light shielding property.
In addition, by folding the folding portion toward the inside to locate the folding portion inside of the case body, the instant photographic film pack can be provided with a smooth outer surface. Thus, the instant photographic film pack has an excellent appearance. On the other hand, by folding the folding portion outside to locate the folding portion outside the case body, the instant photographic film pack can be provided with a smooth inner surface. Therefore, self-developing type film units can be precisely located in the case body and ejected smoothly from the ejection slit.
A twelfth aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the third aspect, wherein the case body is formed of a cellulose-resin composite that is a composite of a cellulose fiber and a thermoplastic resin and the covering portion is formed of cardboard.
The instant photographic film pack of the present aspect has a case body formed of the cellulose-resin composite and a covering portion formed of the cardboard.
The cellulose-resin composite has a structure wherein a matrix of the thermoplastic resin is reinforced with a dispersed phase of the cellulose fiber and thus has a higher rigidity than the thermoplastic resin itself.
Accordingly, a case body formed of a cellulose-resin composite wherein a polyolefine resin is employed as the thermoplastic resin has a rigidity as high as that of a case body formed of a polystyrene resin having a high rigidity. Consequently, a case body formed of the cellulose-resin composite has the same or higher dimensional accuracy than a conventional case body formed of a polystyrene resin, and thus, the instant photographic film pack having the case body has as high location accuracy as a conventional instant photographic film pack.
In addition, a discarded instant photographic film pack can be easily incinerated because less heat and almost no poisonous gas are generated during incineration.
Further, a mixture of the cellulose fiber and the thermoplastic is prepared by crushing and kneading a used-up instant photographic film pack. The resultant mixture has almost the same composition except that a proportion of the cellulose fiber increases. Thus, after adjusting the composition by adding an extra amount of thermoplastic resin, a material recycled from a used-up instant photographic film pack can be used again as the cellulose-resin composite for forming the case body. Therefore, the cellulose-resin composite can be easily recycled.
The cellulose-resin composite additionally can be easily and firmly bonded to the cardboard with a hot-melt adhesive or a cold glue generally used for making a cardboard box or a corrugated fiberboard container and thus the case body can be easily bonded to the covering portion.
Both the cellulose-resin composite and the cardboard have an excellent printability and consequently, a decoration or a pattern of different letters and figures can be easily printed by a common offset printer on the case body and the covering portion. Therefore, an instant photographic film pack with an attractive decoration or a pattern can be produced at a low cost.
Additionally, instant photographic film packs having a different design can be easily manufactured by covering the case body by a covering portion having a different decoration.
A thirteenth aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the third aspect, wherein both the case body and the covering portion are formed of a cellulose-resin composite that is a composite of a cellulose fiber and a thermoplastic resin.
Not only a case body but the covering portion of the instant photographic film pack of the present aspect are formed of the above cellulose-resin composite and thus, the instant photographic film pack has higher location accuracy than the instant photographic film pack of the twelfth aspect. The case body and the covering portion can be formed of the same material and thus, there is no necessity of using different materials for forming the case body and the covering portion. Additionally, by employing the below-mentioned paper resin as the cellulose-resin composite, both the case body and the covering portion can be formed by injection moulding. Thus, without major reforming, conventional injection moulding facility can be used for manufacturing the instant photographic film pack of the present invention.
A fourteenth aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the twelfth aspect, wherein the covering portion is formed by folding a single continuous fold-out sheet of cardboard.
The covering portion has a top portion covering the open side of the case body and side portions extending to the top portion and covering the side of the case body. The covering portion sometimes also has a bottom portion covering the surface of the case body facing toward the open side.
The covering portion of the instant photographic film pack can be formed by folding up a one-piece fold-up sheet having a cut and an opening formed in advance. Thus, the covering portion can be assembled without bonding the top portion, the side portions, and the bottom portion, all of which are formed separately from cardboard, to each other, and therefore, the process for producing the covering portion includes fewer steps and the production cost can be reduced.
A fifteenth aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the fourteenth aspect, wherein the covering portion is formed so as to cover the entire case body from outside.
In the instant photographic film pack of the present aspect, the case body is covered entirely by the covering portion. Accordingly, even when the case body is formed of a black or dark gray-coloured cellulose-resin composite, by covering the case body by the covering portion formed of a cardboard and having a decoration of different letters and figures printed on the outer surface thereof, an instant photographic film pack having an excellent light-shielding property and an excellent attractiveness can be provided.
A sixteenth aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the twelfth aspect, wherein the cellulose fiber is blended in the cellulose-resin composite so that a proportion of the cellulose fiber is 51 weight-% or more in a total weight of the case body formed of the cellulose-resin composite and the covering portion formed of the cellulose-resin composite or the cardboard.
A seventeenth aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the thirteenth aspect, wherein the cellulose fiber is blended in the cellulose-resin composite so that a proportion of the cellulose fiber is 51 weight-% or more in a total weight of the case body formed of the cellulose-resin composite and the covering portion formed of the cellulose-resin composite or the cardboard.
The above cellulose-resin composite has a high rigidity, printability, and dimensional accuracy. Thus the case body of the above instant photographic film pack has an accurate reference surface. Additionally, the case body and the covering portion can be easily formed by injection-moulding or heat-pressing the cellulose-resin composite.
Further, 51% or more of the total weight of the case body and the covering portion is the cellulose fiber and thus, the instant photographic film pack of the present aspect can be easily incinerated or land-filled after discarding. In addition, a cellulose-resin composite prepared by crushing and kneading a used instant photographic film pack is preferably used for forming the case body and the covering portion.
An eighteenth aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the twelfth aspect, wherein the cellulose fiber is blended in the cellulose-resin composite so that a proportion of the cellulose fiber is 51:49 to 75:25 weight-% in a total weight of the case body formed of the cellulose-resin composite and the covering portion formed of the cellulose-resin composite or the cardboard.
A nineteenth aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the thirteenth aspect, wherein the cellulose fiber is blended in the cellulose-resin composite so that a proportion of the cellulose fiber is 51:49 to 75:25 weight-% in a total weight of the case body formed of the cellulose-resin composite and the covering portion formed of the cellulose-resin composite or the cardboard.
The above cellulose-resin composite not only has an excellent rigidity, printability, dimensional accuracy and easiness for incineration but also can be easily formed into the case body or covering portion by injection moulding or heat-pressing.
A twentieth aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the twelfth aspect, wherein the cellulose-resin composite is a paper-resin compound material prepared by kneading thermoplastic resin pellets and cellulose fiber pellets formed by crushing, compressing and granulating a source paper.
A twenty-first aspect for achieving these objects relates to the instant photographic film pack of the thirteenth aspect, wherein the cellulose-resin composite is a paper-resin compound material prepared by kneading thermoplastic resin pellets and cellulose fiber pellets formed by crushing, compressing and granulating a source paper.
The above paper-resin can be moulded into the case body and the covering portion by conventional injection-moulding and thus a conventional injection-moulding facility can be used almost no reform for forming the case body and the covering portion of the instant photographic film pack of the present invention. Consequently, huge facility investment is not required.
Additionally, a case body formed by injection-moulding has a high dimensional accuracy and thus, the instant photographic film pack of the present aspect has a high locating accuracy when loaded in an instant camera.